


Time Stands Still

by marsakat



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Blurryface Era, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, Friends to Lovers, I'm baaaack, M/M, Nostalgia, Regional At Best Era, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 14:27:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30140943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marsakat/pseuds/marsakat
Summary: The end of the Blurryface era was met with relief; skyrocketing popularity strained their friendship, and while they survived, the rest was needed. However, something impossible interrupts Josh and Tyler's worlds, forcing them to confront what they've always kept hidden, and appreciate what they have.
Relationships: Josh Dun/Tyler Joseph
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19





	Time Stands Still

**Author's Note:**

> This story begins in 2017, which is when I first began writing this

Some days, Tyler feels like a stranger. Maybe not exactly a stranger, but more so like they were on just an occasional ‘hey’ basis. Other days, the two of them are just… tired. Stuck in the routine of life on tour, going through the motions everywhere but on stage. The shows brought them back to life, extending the time where the atmosphere between them felt like it was supposed to be. For the rest of the night, they could laugh without exhaustion creasing their brows, and joke like the best friends they were. 

Josh loved tour. He only ever wanted to be  _ on _ tour. But life had turned into a whirlwind as  _ Blurryface _ took off, exploded. Around the world on tour multiple times, award shows, magazine photo shoots— constant activity and endless demands. 

It was like being on the best rollercoaster ever, and he was allowed to ride it as many times as he wanted, except now he had his fill of all the fun. Josh needed to step off, let his stomach and dizzy head settle— play some arcade games and eat a pretzel before going on line for the next, newest coaster. 

They had almost a week to recharge before a festival and the next segment of tour. With enough sleep, enough time in a bed that didn’t rock with each bump in the highway, their greetings and subsequent conversations were exactly as easy as they had always been. Recharged— their endurance was less, but they always were best friends at the core of it all. 

Just another flight to board, and where they sat always depended on what Tyler felt like doing on the trip. 

“I’m just, like, right in the middle of this song— I’ve got a melody or something stuck in my head and I need to record it before I forget.” Tyler rubbed his temples, eyes squeezed shut as if he was holding in the thought before it leaked out like water. 

“Got it.” Josh knew Tyler’s ‘working face’ more than anyone. “I’ll sit with Mark.”

“Thanks, man. I just can’t help but be distracted by your handsome face,” Tyler said in a jokingly flirty tone, giving an exaggerated wink.

“I’ll bring a paper bag next time.” Josh grinned. 

He didn’t mind being asked to sit elsewhere—they had flown more than enough times in the seats next to one another, sharing a headphone to watch movies, watching Tyler play video games on his laptop over his shoulder, talking quietly until one or both of them fell asleep on each other’s shoulders. Sometimes Tyler needed to work, and that was happening more and more often as the end they had agreed on approached. Both of them felt the pressure to surpass the quality of  _ Blurryface _ , but most of the burden fell on Tyler’s shoulders to grow the ideas.

And what an idea he had…

Josh could see Tyler from the other side of the plane, couldn’t help but watch him alternate between bending over the keys and laptop and clicking furiously, or else leaning back to close his eyes— so still, with only his fingers moving. Then the fingers stopped, hands relaxing till they slid from the tray table onto his lap.

Tyler had fallen asleep. Josh hoped that he saved whatever he’d been writing. Josh usually dozed off too, but he was so well rested from his days off he was content just listening to music and watching Tyler sleep. He didn’t consider it creepy— it was just such a rare thing to witness, that it was much more interesting than anything else happening in first class. 

Suddenly, Josh felt the overwhelming  _ need _ to be alone with Tyler, thinking back to the early days when it could just be them without all these assorted crew members. He just wanted to  _ talk _ to Tyler about… whatever. Like he needed that reinforcement, that reminder they were still okay. It was the anxious part of him that doubted even the most concrete of facts; that whispered to him that  _ people lie, you’re not worthy _ . 

He was still tender after going through the first true attack on their friendship— an assault that had been insidious, leeching poisonous thoughts that could sicken even the healthiest of roots. Thankfully they always checked in with one another, Josh and Tyler never afraid to call notice to a change, able to be bluntly honest when something didn’t seem right. The culprit who tried to twist their relationship, manipulate and turn one against the other, had been uncovered before any real damage occurred. They were kicked out of the inner circle, and it was exhilarating to think about how the two of them could face any issue as them vs. the problem rather than Josh vs. Tyler. 

But that whole experience unseated them, and rather than be completely in unison, Josh felt they were out of step by a millisecond. A little out of sync and needing to get back on the same page— that was why he wanted to be alone with Tyler— to work on getting things back to the way they were before. 

Maybe he had been drifting off too— Josh was startled by Tyler suddenly jerking awake and looking wild-eyed around the airplane. Like a terrified animal, he leapt up— or as best as he could in the contained space. Tyler scrambled out of his seat and over their tour manager who was sitting next to him. He made a mad dash to the bathroom closest to him and slammed the door shut. 

The rest of their section noticed Tyler’s flailing and Mark leaned in to whisper “I wonder if the burger he ate in the airport was bad. You didn’t have one too, right?”

Josh glanced at his phone, noting the time. Their tour manager, Andrew, looked like he was waiting, too. It was his job to intercede, but Josh felt equally responsible. Even if it was just a stomach bug, but Josh had been around for enough times that it wasn’t just simply that. 

_ Five minutes… Eight minutes… Ten minutes… _

Andrew stood up first, trying his best to keep his voice down and not draw any more attention. 

“Hey Tyler. You good in there?”

Silence. Mark looked between Josh and the bathroom. 

“Tyler, just let me know if you’re okay. Tap once if you’re okay, twice if you’re not”

Silence. Josh’s heart was racing, imagining his best friend unconscious on the floor.

“Tyler, can you hear me?”

“Who are you?” Tyler’s voice was full of panic, unable to keep his volume down. That was enough to get Josh moving, climbing over Mark who was also standing up. 

“It’s Andrew.”

“What?” Tyler was clearly freaking out, hitting the walls as the thumps and bangs told. 

“Andrew!”

“Who are you and why am I on a plane?” 

They paused, confused. A flight attendant approached, but they waved her away; they didn’t want others involved. 

“Hey man,” Andrew said soothingly, “just open the door, we’ll talk this through.”

“I’m here, Tyler,” Josh spoke up and the rustling inside stopped. 

“Josh? Is that you?”

“Yeah. Mark is here, too. Can you open the door, please?” Josh tried to keep the desperation and worry out of his voice. 

Silence. 

“Okay, okay, I get it. How about just me? Can I come in?”

Mark and Andrew nodded. Tyler always needed Josh when he was most vulnerable. Back in the old days, he was who Tyler came to when the doubt and dark thoughts kept him from going onstage or even leaving his bed. 

“Just Josh.”

Tyler unlatched the door and gave Josh the smallest gap to squeeze through before snapping the door shut and locked behind him. He tried to give him space, knowing that sometimes Tyler just didn’t want to be touched, but their knees bumped together and their faces were very close. He wasn’t hyperventilating, just had the terrified look of a hunted animal.

“Am I awake right now?” Tyler asked, and offered his left arm forward. Josh pinched him, and Tyler winced.

“Yeah, you are. What happened, bad dream?”

“No… I mean—I went to sleep and I woke up… here.” Tyler pulled at his hair, twisting around frantically, looking ready to run again.

“Hey,” Josh lay a hand on Tyler’s chest, rubbing in gentle circles. “I’m here. We’re going to figure this out, okay? Can you take a deep breath for me?”

Tyler’s inhales and exhales were shaky, but he complied, trusting in Josh’s guidance. He relaxed minutely. 

“Tell me what you remember, I’ll help fill you in.” Josh figured having Tyler talk through his memory lapse would help, wondering what could possibly be wrong with him. This had never happened before; could he be having a stroke or something? He was talking and moving just fine, however.

“I was lying down to sleep, and then I opened up my eyes here. I was with you! It was your turn to drive and you had just said that you would wake me up when we crossed back into Ohio. It’s hot in here, I’m—” Tyler took off his hoodie and Josh recognized an old church camp shirt of his that he hadn’t seen in three years. He also noticed something else was missing, and couldn’t understand why, but he somehow knew how Tyler would answer the next question.

“What was I driving, and what were we coming back from?”

“The van, of course. And it was your friend who told us about that crappy VFW hall in Pennsylvania that still had bands play.”

Josh remembered exactly when Tyler meant, and he didn’t have to fill him on just a few hours. It was  _ years _ — six of them to be precise. They had done that particularly pathetically underfilled show in 2011, one of many during the time before they were signed. 

But that wasn’t the most terrifying part. It was the fact that Tyler didn’t have his Carpe Noctem tattoo and the bands around his elbow. It was the soft curve of the baby fat still clinging to his jawline, and sideburns that had been gone for a long time. 

The Tyler that boarded that plane hadn’t looked like that, and hadn’t for awhile.

If Josh could believe what he was seeing, he would know immediately that this was van days,  _ Regional at Best _ , 2011 Tyler. Josh had been there for all of that, had watched the subtle changes as they got older, even though Tyler at first glance seemed to be eternally youthful. The years weighed on him with gentle erosion, sharpening his face but doing very little else. But, when confronted by this perfect recreation of a bygone era, Josh could see the difference.

Tyler clearly began to notice too, as the initial panic subsided and he could take account of his surroundings. Josh’s changes were much more obvious.

“Is that… a nose piercing? And… your hair? Josh, what is going on. Where are we…  _ when are we _ ?”

Josh didn’t know how else to break it to him. “Okay, just stay with me, keep breathing. We’re going to figure this out, but… we’re on a plane to a festival right now, and— and this year is 2017.”

“No it’s not,” Tyler immediately protested. “It can’t be. I can’t have missed— everything.” His voice cracked.

Josh felt bad proving him wrong, but he pulled out his phone and showed Tyler the timestamp of the last photo they took together— a selfie of the two of them in line at McDonald’s. It was  _ a thing _ of theirs to send a slightly disgruntled airport selfie to send to their moms. They’d been doing it for years, but this Tyler would not know that.

“That’s… me, but…” Tyler swiped through many more photos, no regard for Josh squirming slightly, though he had nothing to hide from him of all people. “Yeah, these all say 2017. So… oh crap…”

They both jumped as Andrew knocked on the door. “Are you guys okay in there?”

“We’ll be out in a minute!” Josh replied, and then lowered his voice, “Let’s go back to the seats. Just play along like everything’s fine, and I’ll fill you in on what’s up.”

Tyler nodded, setting his jaw. Josh opened the door, already halfway through an explanation. “We’re good now. Just gonna, like, relax for the rest of the flight. If it’s alright with you, I’ll sit with Tyler,” Josh told Andrew, who was happy to oblige now that his two charges were not barricaded in the plane bathroom.

“Okay so… we’re still in the band, right? Where are we going?” Tyler spoke quietly, eyes darting around to make sure that no one was watching them too closely, eavesdropping on this critical conversation. The white noise of the plane mostly swallowed up his words for anyone but Josh.

“Yeah, still just the two of us, and we’re, uh, doing pretty well. Our most recent album is actually really popular and we’re flying out to headline a festival.”

“A festival?” Tyler was wide-eyed in surprise, despite how out-of-sorts he was, Tyler looked happy about that.

“Uh-huh, the festival is tomorrow, and then we’ve got a couple more weeks of tour for this album cycle. Um, we signed to Fueled By Ramen in 2012 and we have had two albums with them. We… we won a Grammy.”

Tyler’s voice pitched up. “We what?!”

“We’re doing really well, actually,” Josh shrugged, and Tyler’s eyes were slightly glazed, obviously trying to process what he heard.

“We’re headlining a festival,” he said to himself. “We won a Grammy…. Wow.”

They sat in silence for a bit. Tyler had a faraway look in his eyes as Josh searched his phone for a video or photo of that moment.

It was Tyler who broke the silence. “I think you probably… understand why this is so much for me to accept. You were there in the van, no one watching us— that’s all I’ve been living through for months. And it’s been… so hard.” He cut himself off as his voice cracked again, choking up. 

“Hey… hey man, you know I know, but look where we are now.” Josh pat him on the back, Tyler avoiding meeting his eyes. 

“Yeah that’s why it’s kinda weird to be  _ there _ and thinking about where our money to fill up the gas tank will come from, falling asleep worrying how to talk to you about maybe, uh, ending the band; to then be thrown  _ here _ and actually successful?”

“It’s all kinds of weird,” Josh agreed. 

“Who’s Andrew and where’s Michael?” Tyler asked. 

“Oh,” Josh flushed a little. “Michael’s been with us the whole time, until recently. He just, uh, moved on to a smaller band because he wanted to try something new and you encouraged him to manage a small band, like how he started with us.”

Josh knew friends leaving was something that triggered Tyler’s fear of abandonment, especially in those early days after Nick and Chris left. The times he spent reassuring Tyler he wasn’t going to leave were numerous; in words and in action. Michael has been his friend since he was born, and so it was important for this Tyler to know that he of all people was not going to give up on him. 

“That’s… that’s good, right?” Tyler examined Josh’s face as if looking for proof. 

Josh nodded in response. “Really good. You’re super happy for him.”

“What else do I need to know? Oh crap, you said we’re going to a festival! I don’t— I don’t know the setlist. I probably don’t know any of the songs!” Tyler’s whispers were squeaky, his panic was clearly rising up again. 

Josh placed a soothing hand on Tyler’s forearm. “Hey, hey man, it’s okay. I’ve got all the songs on my phone. We can start listening through, like non stop till you memorize the lyrics.”

“What about the piano? And the,” Tyler waved his hands “other stuff. Do we have pyrotechnics or other stage effects? We always talk about adding them in.”

“Yeah we’ve got all that stuff. Oh and you play bass too… uh, probably shouldn’t have mentioned that… right now,” Josh said, trying to placate the look of terror Tyler gave him. 

“I- I- I can’t. You’re gonna have to cancel. I’m not supposed to be here!”

“Look, I have no idea how and why you’ve been swapped, but like, you’re  _ Tyler Joseph.  _ You’re the most hardworking and stubbornly dedicated person I know. If anyone can learn a whole set in 24 hours, it’s you.” Josh tried to boost him up, but Tyler clearly doubted himself. If anything, he was probably right to not expect that they could pull this off. 

The mission was insurmountable, but Josh still offered the headphones over to Tyler. Both could only hope he would switch back soon, but for the rest of the ride, all they could do was listen. 

* * *

Tyler becomes aware of his surroundings from the upholstery digging into his cheek. His head had slipped off the pillow by the rocking of the van. He cracked an eyelid to see Josh driving, humming to himself. 

It was a nice dream, a return to a good memory. Tyler let himself surrender to sleep again. 

**Author's Note:**

> Here we are! Fic #100! It's been a long time coming, especially since I haven't posted since November 2019. I have missed this so much, but it comes without saying that this year was an absolute mess. So much happened in my life (finished graduate school, worked as a frontline nurse during this pandemic, got engaged, worked hard on my mental health), and this fic always stayed in the back of my head, something I knew I needed to finish and put out there. Thank you to my friends who endlessly heard me say "I'll get around to it"
> 
> I'm really excited to finally post. Monday the 15th was 5 YEARS since I posted my first fic on ao3, and here we are... 100 fics posted. I'll be back for sure... Once this new era starts I can't wait to get fully absorbed by the new lore and stories. I miss concerts so much, but we'll get back there. For now.. we have this
> 
> teeentyonepilots on tumblr and trenchtowel on twitter. come say hi!


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